On the VIP Stand, Regent Xu Tianran quietly sipped a cup of fragrant tea, waiting for the referees to announce the start of the match.
While waiting, he asked Jing Hongchen on his left, "Hall Master Hongchen, the Sun Moon Academy has maintained an undefeated record so far. I hope you keep up the good work. Your greatest opponent in the upper bracket is Shrek's first team, masquerading as the Tang Sect Team. Are you confident you can overpower Shrek?"
Jing Hongchen replied confidently, "Your Highness, my grandson and granddaughter are old rivals of Shrek. They know both themselves and their enemy. Five years have passed, and their strength cannot be compared to what it once was. They will certainly rewrite the outcome of the previous tournament."
Xu Tianran nodded in satisfaction and immediately promised, "Good, Hall Master Hongchen. If the Sun Moon Team wins the championship and raises our empire's prestige, you will receive a generous reward after the tournament."
"I would not dare make rash claims. Thank you in advance, Your Highness." Jing Hongchen spoke modestly, but made no attempt to conceal his confident smile.
Zhongli Wu, seated to Xu Tianran's right, also chuckled. "Hall Master Hongchen, our cult and the Sun Moon Team are in separate brackets. We will certainly sweep away the obstacles for you, eliminating the Shrek Second Team and the Body Sect in the lower bracket."
The smile on Jing Hongchen's face faded slightly, and he gave a perfunctory nod.
Xu Tianran added, "Hall Master Hongchen, what do you think of Huo Yuhao, that one-man army? His opponent is the Tang Sect."
Jing Hongchen shook his head. "I fully acknowledge his strength, but imagining that he can defeat Shrek single-handedly is still something out of the Arabian Nights."
"He is probably treating this tournament